Morrisons have taken steps to alleviate the pressures on farmers with the introduction of a new milk brand.

But Ayrshire farmers say it does not go far enough, with just NINE per cent of farmers in Scotland set to benefit from the move.

Now one Ayrshire farmer, integral in the protests that have captured the imagination of millions across the world, says more needs to be done.

Bryce Cunningham told the Standard: “I don’t know if Morrisons are doing this just to get the heat off them, but it’s not enough.

“They are going to charge more for the milk in store and it will go back to some farmers.”

Morrisons’ new ‘Milk for Farmers’ brand will see 10p paid per litre to farmers within Arla, Britain’s biggest milk co-operative.

The new product will go into stores in the autumn and is, the store says, aimed at “shoppers who want to directly support dairy farmers”.

Currently Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op pay farmers a price above the cost of production for milk. Asda, Lidl and Aldi do not currently offer such deals to farmers.

After staging a mass protest at Morrisons in Kilmarnock last Monday, angry dairy farmers held a similar demonstration at Asda last Thursday.

Standard photographer Sandy Ferguson accompanied around 50 farmers as they cleared the supermarket’s shelves of milk before buying the lot.

Bryce told us: “Everything went to plan. Even the staff in Asda were supportive and accommodating.”

As it was on the Monday, the milk bought from Asda was distributed to the public outside the shop as farmers spread the message of their campaign.

Leftover milk was donated to the Blue Triangle homeless association, food banks and Crosshouse Hospital – so far the protests have raised over £1200 for Ayrshire Hospice.

With production costs per litre between 24p-30p, farmers feel they are being left in the lurch by penny-pinching supermarket fat cats who pay some farmers just SEVEN PENCE per litre.

Farmers have claimed they are losing up to £200 a day due to the current prices paid by supermarkets.

The average UK farm gate price was 24.06p this year – down by over 25 per cent on last year. Support for farmers has been growing since the first protest, with Kilmarnock rockers Biffy Clyro giving their backing.

And there was more support for the farmers from former Olympian and MP candidate, Brian Whittle.

The former 400m runner and champion for healthy lifestyles said the situation facing farmers “cannot be allowed to continue”.

He told the Standard: “We’ve the situation where the cost of a pint of milk is less that a bottle of water or a can of fizzy juice.

“On what planet does that make any sense?

“Is it any wonder farmers are taking action? It is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

“Paying farmers less than it costs to produce milk is unsustainable and with farms going out of business at the rate they are, we will end up importing our milk.

“Once our capacity to produce our own milk is gone it will be too late to do anything about it.”

Bryce agreed with Brian that the best way to support farmers was to buy British, in particular the ‘red tractor brand’.

The co-operative brand guarantees customers are getting “world class, British made products that support our amazing farming industry”.

And the Left Mossgiel farmer urged everyone to get behind British farmers.

He added: “The best way is to buy red tractor products. We need to help out our own sector by buying British.

“We are working on some more things for future, but I think that will focus more on educating people about the problems we face, why we need their support and also on how great our produce is.”